My Sister

This is my baby sister, Megan.

Megan is 17. She's bright, outgoing, and a bit crazy. She's made mistakes.

Her best mistake.

When Meg was 16, she got pregnant. The father was a deadbeat. She was scared, but determined that her baby would have an amazing life.

Jude Elliott.

I was with her in the delivery room. She was absolutely incredible. The pain must have been intense, but she powered through it without barely a complaint. I was so proud of her, it makes me tear up to this day.

Not your typical teenager.

Meggy loves music, reading, family game nights, camping, and making weird faces. We entertains ourselves by texting each other from the same room, trying to top each insult we send. We also like to subtly flip each other off in public. We're pretty cool.

Slut.

Meg is the kind of person you can tell anything to. She'll judge you, sure. She'll call you out on your shit and make fun of you, but laughing at your own shit helps me take my problems less seriously. Whenever I tell her I love her, it's always "Love you, slut!" And she answers back, "You too, bitch!" Our weird sense of humor brings us together.

Megan made Jude her entire life, homeschooling so she could spend more time with him.

Every other text she sends me is about something new Jude has learned, or a cute thing he did today. Her days completely revolve around him, and so do her life goals. She wants to support him and give him the kind of loving childhood we were raised in.

But my hero is gone.

January 13th, Megan was in an accident. She was riding with her two best friends when the car went out of control and hit a utility pole. The next day, she was taken away from me and Jude and the multitudes of people she entertained, inspired, and touched. In her final moments, Meggy became a hero. She was a caring person and a deeply devoted parent; it was her wish to be an organ donor and give life back to others. We won't know for a few weeks, but one of her kidneys may have saved the life of a ten year-old child. She will always be my hero, and I will always try to live my life the way she did. I love you, Megan.